Typically, the deck lid or door to a trunk space is opened by a key being inserted and turned in a lock cylinder from a position exteriorly of the deck lid or by a button or lever that is positioned within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. While it has been suggested that a handle be placed in the interior of the trunk space, because of numerous difficulties, to date, vehicle manufacturers have not included a device specifically for opening the trunk from the inside of the trunk space. Even fold down rear seats, which are common in many vehicles today, cannot be folded down from within the trunk space. Although placement of a release mechanism in the trunk space has been suggested in the prior art, no commercially acceptable mechanism or device has been developed. Therefore, if a person is within the trunk space when the deck lid is closed, there is no way for a person to open the deck lid and get out of the trunk.
When the deck lid is closed, the space within the trunk is typically small and very dark. Although a light source is typically provided in a trunk to provide light to the trunk space when the trunk space is open, these lights are deactivated when the trunk is closed, in order to prevent excessive drain on the battery of the vehicle. Therefore, when a person is trapped within a trunk, it is nearly impossible to see anything within the trunk, such that even if a release mechanism were operable within the trunk, a person would not be able to find the mechanism after the deck lid had been closed. Furthermore, due to the cramped and tight space within a trunk, a person's movements to reach and operate a release mechanism are extremely restricted.
This inability to open a trunk of a vehicle from inside the trunk space has unfortunately led to many injuries and even deaths over the years. When the deck lid is closed, the interior space of the trunk may reach extreme temperatures during the summer time, such that a person can only survive therein for a short period of time. Typically, these injuries and deaths occur to children, who enter the trunk to either play or hide and then trap themselves within the trunk by closing the deck lid.
Because a person trapped within the trunk of the vehicle may be a small child, the person's abilities to respond to a release mechanism within the trunk may be limited. Even if a handle, button or the like is visible to a child, the child may be too afraid to even attempt to use the device or may be too weak to activate the release mechanism. Because there is no way to detect the child within the trunk, the child may remain trapped therein until the trunk is opened from the outside.
Vehicle sensing systems typically utilize sensors to detect occupants in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. These systems utilize the sensed information for airbag deployment and/or intrusion alert. Conventional sensing-alert systems do not address the problem of preventing humans and/or pets from being trapped in a vehicle such as, for example, a vehicle cargo compartment (trunk). Automobiles are particularly dangerous as there are multiple means of entry into the trunk, for example, fold-down rear seats, remote keyless entry modules, and push-buttons or pull levers under the dashboard or beside the seat or otherwise located in the vehicle compartment that when actuated release the trunk. Typically there is no means of exit from the trunk once inside. In particular, automobile trunks present a potential safety hazard to humans and pets because the latching mechanism may close while they are in the trunk. This is particularly true for young children who may accidentally become trapped in the trunk of a car and suffer serious physical injury and/or emotional distress because they are unable to escape and there is no means for notifying someone that they are trapped.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an interior trunk release mechanism which is highly visible under minimal lighting conditions such as when the deck lid of the trunk is closed. Furthermore, the release mechanism should be easily recognizable and operable even by children, and should avoid damage or deterioration of existing vehicle systems, such as the battery or electrical system, while remaining operable even when the vehicle is shut off. In the event that an occupant in the trunk may be a small child, the release mechanism preferably should be operable to automatically detect the presence of a person within the trunk and to automatically assist the person in opening the trunk in response to such detection. Furthermore, there is a need for a system that can sense when a person is in the vehicle passenger compartment or trunk compartment and generate a response to facilitate their release.